Automatic sprinkler



E. H." DAVIS & R. WESTBRVELT.

(No Model.)

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

Patented May 7, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC ETNA HYDE DAVIS AND REUBEN WESTERVELT, OF ELMIRA, NEIV YORK.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 402,569, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed September 4:, 1888- Serial No. 284,569. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, ETNA HYDE DAVIS and REUBEN WESTERVELT, citizens of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Ohemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinklers, and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention consists in improvements in sprinklers, such as are used to act automatically in case of fire in a building to let on water for extinguishing the flames. Heretofore it has been customary to cause such sprinklers to be operated by the fusion of solder or some alloy, the fusion being accomplished by the increase of temperature due to a fire. It has been found, however, that it is very difficult to get a solder that will fuse at the proper temperature. Moreover, the same solder will change its point of fusion with age, thus introducing an element of unreliability into its action.

Our improvements include the use of a different substance tobe operated upon by heat for releasing the sprinkler-valve, and also a difierent arrangement of the parts, whereby the sprinkler acts with more certainty. The substance employed is preferably hard rubher, which can be vulcanized to such a degree that bars of the same dimensions will be operated at any desired degree of heat.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of our sprinkler. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same, the full lines showing the parts in position and the dotted lines showing them after the sprinkler has been operated. a

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents a sprinkler constructed in accordance with our invention, having a connecting-pipe provided with a screw-thread for coupling it to supply-pipes in a building.

Bis the valve which normallycloses the opening in the connecting-pipe a. Joined to or form ed in the same piece with the connecting-pipe is a frame, 0, which supports an apron, B, and a pivoted drop, E. This drop is provided at its other end with a slotted strip or plate, F, which is adapted to catch upon a shoulder of a movable detent, G, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The detent is pivoted in lugs on the apron and holds the drop normally in a substantially horizontal position. Being pivoted as it is, however, this detent would naturally fail to hold the drop were it not for the bar H, of. hard rubber or similar material, which is held by friction within a slot, h, in the drop and extends up into the path of the free end of the detent. The bar is grooved near its upper end to admit the end of the detent, as shown.

The inner and upper surface of the drop is provided with a groove, 6, as shown in Fig. 2, within which rests the lower end of a rod or bolt, 1, which is joined by a screw-connection to the valve B. The lower end of this bolt is squared, to admit of its being turned by means of a key or wrench, J. By properly adjusting the bolt through the key or wrench it is evident that the valve can be driven to its seat with any required degree of firmness. This act will usually take place after the drop has been brought into position and after the detent has been caught by the bar H.

K is a jam-nut for securin g the valve and bolt firmly together.

It will thus be seen that the part which holds the drop in place is the bar H, and that this bar is under tension tending to push it forward, such tension being measured by the weight of the drop and its connected parts, and by the pressure of the drop by the tightening of the valve through the rod 1. Suppose, now, that the apparatus described be exposed to the influence of heat. The bar will become softened and will gradually yield to the tension until, finally, when a dangerous degree of heat is reached, the detent will slip by the end of the bar and the drop will fall into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. When this happens, the water from the supply-pipes will pass out at the opening a, and will be distributed over the apron to the parts of the building protected by the sprinkler.

By vulcanizing different bars of rubber to different degrees we find that we can produce bars that will release the drop at any degree we may prcdeterlnine. Moreover, we find that the degree does not change, no matter how long the bars are in position before being called into actual use. \Vith a little experience we can secure nice adjustments by varying the distance which the bars shall extend above the lower end of the detentarms. Thus by pushing up the parts shown in Fig. 2 a little farther we could alter the operating-point without changing the vulcanization of the bar itself. The principal advantage, however, of the apparatus described over the ordinary solder sprinkler lies in the fact that it is not affected by jars, nor do frequent heatings which fall below the operating-point affect the operation of our sprinkler when the necessity for their action intervenes.

Having now described our invention, what we claim is 1. The combination, with a sprinkler-valve,

' of a drop holding the valve to its seat, a (letent for the drop, and a piece of hard rubber serving as a stop for the detent, whereby, when the hard rubber softens, the drop and valve will be released, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a sprinkler, a connecting-pipe and a frame supported thereby, the said frame in its turn supporting an apron and a pivotdrop, in combination with a detent for the drop supported by the apron and a piece of hard rubber held frictionally Within the drop, serving as a stop for the detent, whereby, when the hard rubber softens, the drop and valve will be released, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ETNA HYDE DAVIS. REUBEN XVESTERVELT.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN W. TROVVBRIDGE, CHAS. HALL ADAMS. 

